


Grasping the formless wind

by i_am_red_handed



Category: Thunderbolt Fantasy 東離劍遊紀 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, set after the movie and before season 1
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-11-13 19:39:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18037604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_am_red_handed/pseuds/i_am_red_handed
Summary: Set after the events at the Sword Art Assembly, an injured Setsu Mu Sho landed in the care of a person from Rin Setsu A's past. After trying to make sense of what Rin Setsu A had done, he then set out to go after him.Setsu Mu Sho may have promised to kill Rin Setsu A but will he fullfil it?





	1. Denial

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever published fanfic. I have no beta so this is unedited. I might rewrite this to make everything flow better but that's after I finished the whole thing. I wrote this because I'm kinda disappointed that there's not much Thunderbolt Fantasy fanfics here at ao3 and I want to satisfy my cravings for Rin Setsu A x Setsu Mu Sho stories. 
> 
> I've only watched the Thunderbolt Fantasy movie and I have not read the novelization so forgive me if I missed anything.
> 
> Enjoy!

For the first time in Setsu Mu Sho’s life, he dreamt.

He dreamt that the first person he ever wanted to be by his side betrayed him. This person fearlessly approached him with a beautiful smile in his face when all other people cower with the mere mention of his name. This person is the first person who sought him not to kill but to protect as his bodyguard. This person made him want to change from a bloodthirsty beast who only knows how to kill to a human being who cares for another.

Rin Setsu A.

Setsu Mu Sho didn’t want to believe that Rin Setsu A betrayed him. It’s just a dream. It was not real. So when Setsu Mu Sho opened his eyes, he was glad to see Rin Setsu A beside him. It was a blurry sight but he was quite sure it was him. Rin Setsu A was always the first person by his side every time he wakes up from sleep. He wanted to believe it was him.

“Ryou…” Setsu Mu Sho whispered hoarsely. He wanted Rin Setsu A to smile at him and invite him for breakfast like they always do in the morning for the past three years. He wanted to tell Rin Setsu A about his dream. He wanted Rin Setsu A to assure him that it was just a nasty nightmare while he leans back and smoke his pipe.

However, the dread that the nightmare brought him came rushing back to him when the person he thought to be Rin Setsu A got closer. This person was not Rin Setsu A. He didn't have his jade-like face and eyes as red as blood. He didn't have that smile that always have a hint of mischievousness. He didn't have his long flowing white hair. This person was a complete stranger.

Setsu Mu Sho’s memories of that event came rushing back at him. He remembered the flute that was supposed to be the evidence to prove his innocence. He remembered Rin Setsu A explaining his carefully laid trap for him. He remember killing his master. He remembered killing everyone in the Sword Arts Arena. He remembered his searing hatred towards Rin Setsu A, making him promise to hunt him no matter where he goes and kill him as he walk away from him.

_"But I'm afraid our playtime has come to an end."_

He felt his chest tighten. He could feel the rage setting his body on fire again, starting from his heart, spreading out. It was painful. He wanted to dig out his heart so that the burning feeling may stop but he couldn’t move his arms. He can only dig his fingers in his palms. He tried to roar but no sound came out of his mouth. He tried to move his body but more pain came skewering his senses, stopping him from thrashing around. He was like a wounded beast, chained down to the teeth.

Setsu Mu Sho could see at the corner of his eye that the person who was not Rin Setsu A sat peacefully beside him. He was not the least bit affected by his outburst. His unaffected gaze made Setsu Myou Shou want to kill him. That was the last thought he had before he passed out again from the pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I first saw the Thunderbolt Fantasy movie, I was as mad as Setsu Mu Sho at what Rin Setsu A has done. The murderous villain wanted to stop killing people and stick with you and guard you forever, Rin Setsu A! WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!!! I guess I'm writing this fanfic to also reconcile with Rin Setsu A's actions and give my murder baby a happy life.


	2. Same

When Setsu Mu Sho woke up again, there was only one thought in his mind, ‘Kill Rin Setsu A.’ He was filled with a burning desire to immediately get out of whatever place he is in and find Rin Setsu A. He tried moving out of the bed but his body seemed to have gained weight as he struggle hard to lift his torso just so that he could move into a sitting position. He also felt piercing pain on his chest and right foot with each movement he makes. After a few more minutes of struggling to move his body, he stopped and let his upper body fall back to the bed, panting heavily. He tightly closed his fists out of frustration, fingers digging deep into his palm.

“I must say, it is quite amusing to see you struggle like this.”

Setsu Mu Sho immediately turned his head to the source of the voice. He saw the stranger he saw before he passed out, sitting beside him. Setsu Mu Sho glared at this person, the desire to kill him was coming back. The stranger’s arms were crossed on his chest as he watched him with amused eyes. He has short black hair and brown eyes. He was wearing some kind of a simple black travelling robe. How could he ever mistake him for Rin Setsu A?

“Oho, that’s quite some killing intent you’ve got there. As expected of the Screaming Phoenix Killer…” The stranger said as he leaned back to his chair. “But you can’t do anything. You can’t even get out of that bed, what’s makes you think you can kill me?”

Faced with the bitter truth, Setsu Mu Sho turned his head away from him as he bit his lip. He promised himself that he would kill this person when he can finally move. He stared at the scenery outside the window beside his bed.

He heard the stranger stand up and walk somewhere within the small wooden house, pour some kind of liquid in a container, and then walk back to his side.

“Obviously I saved your life. But I’m not expecting any spoken gratitude from you.” He heard the stranger sit down the chair beside the bed. ” You can repay me in another way.”

  
Setsu Mu Sho continued to remain silent. But he scoffed in his mind. Who does this person think he is to ask for repayment? He can just kill this person and leave. He’s the Screaming Phoenix Killer after all. He’s not some compassionate being. He tried being one but Rin Setsu A killed that person.

“I would like you to kill Rin Setsu A.”

Setsu Mu Sho quickly turned his head to look at the stranger. He was smiling. It was the same mischievous smile Rin Setsu A usually wore.

“I finally got your attention again. Are you curious as to how I know Rin Setsu A?” The stranger took a sip of his tea. “It's a long long story but the bottom line is, we’re the same. The Engimatic Gale stole something from me.”

“I hate him and I want him killed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm chopping up the chapters at the wrong points hahaha!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Mine

“Isn’t that simple for you? That’s what you’re planning to do anyways. I patched you up so that you could do what I couldn’t.”

Setsu Mu Sho felt irritated with this proposition. He disliked the idea of being someone else’s tool of revenge against Rin Setsu A. He wanted to choke Rin Setsu A’s neck with his own hands and without someone else’s strings controlling him. Rin Setsu A’s death is for his satisfaction only.

Setsu Mu Sho wanted to shout but his following words were spit out as a hissing whisper. “Fuck off.” His struggles earlier made him forgot about his parched throat.

The stranger was stunned for a second then heartily laughed. He then fetched a cup of water and placed it on the side table.

“Whether you agree or not, when you finally killed Rin Setsu A, I will consider myself avenged.” The stranger smiled. “Mixing in the poison of my hate to your killing sword has become inevitable the moment I saved you and you heard my request. “

Setsu Mu Sho decided to not wait until he recovered to kill this person. Rin Setsu A’s death is only his.

_Mine. Mine. MINE!_

He started to try moving his arm, wanting to reach the stranger and strangle him. He finally got to move his arm and reach out with so much shaking. The stranger just put the cup of water on his hand. This seems to anger Setsu Mu Sho more and tried to throw the cup to him but his measly strength fell short and just dropped the cup.

“Ahahaha what a possessive chap we have here. Not wanting to share Rin Setsu A.” The stranger laughed; the sound continued to burn Setsu Mu Sho with hate. The stranger propped his left arm on the table and rested his chin on his left hand. He whispered to himself, “I’m envious. It seems like it’s really not one-sided.”

Setsu Mu Sho did not hear everything; he only heard something about one-sided. “What.”

“Nothing.”

Silence descended between the two. Setsu Mu Sho wanted to know more but his pride wouldn’t allow him to press the stranger for more answers after he tried throwing that cup of water to that person. The stranger just continued being annoying by sitting beside him and smiling.

“Did you know how I found you? I followed a cute little bird. It was flying in circles around me, wanting me to follow it. It was like it knew that I can heal people.”

The stranger looked at him like he was waiting for some reaction from Setsu Mu Sho. However, Setsu Mu Sho only continued glaring at him but he could see a bit of curiosity in his eyes. This made him a bit disappointed.

“I wonder what kind of wind brought that tiny bird to me.” The stranger tried stirring the pot even more but he still didn’t get the reaction he wanted. He scratched his chin and whispered to himself, “Well they say you shouldn’t show all your cards to other people.”

“Oh well… I had fun chatting with you today but I should stop agitating you; your wounds opened up again.” The stranger pointed at his arm. “I’m such a bad doctor. Hahaha!”

Setsu Mu Sho looked at his right arm that he moved earlier and could see blood soaking in the bandages. It was only then that he noticed that he was not wearing his clothes and his whole upper torso was covered in bloody bandages.

The stranger leaned to him and whispered to his ear. “Sleep.”

That one word suddenly made Setsu Mu Sho drowsy. He tried fighting against it but utterly failed.

“And dream of Rin Setsu A.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's something charming and funny about Rin Setsu A manipulating his enemies to work with him. They're all like, "this little shit needs to die" but they still follow his requests if they have the same goal.


	4. Contemplate

The next few days was a blur to Setsu Mu Sho. The so-called ‘doctor’ seemed to have hit his acupressure points after he closed his eyes that day to prevent him from moving again when he wakes up. Therefore, the blurry few days were spent with him bedridden and being toyed with by the doctor. He claimed it to be a way of healing but Setsu Mu Sho certainly heard some troubling comments from the doctor while he’s poking around his body.

“Hmm…I wonder what will happen if I cut this muscle here and attached his nerve endings here… oh he’ll be forever crippled if I do that! No can do! He still needs to kill Rin Setsu A!”

“What a nice set bones and muscles…and this skin! For a murderer who fights a lot, he has some nice skin. Maybe I should cut out some pieces?”

“The work done on your skull is an outstanding work! I should pay respect to the doctor who patched you up nicely!”

Aside from the doctor, another person enters the wooden house ever now and then and tends to him. The doctor disappears in the morning after his so-called check-ups and is gone for the rest of the day. The other person, a girl who greatly resembles the doctor, comes in to wipe his body clean and feeds him. Setsu Mu Sho was certainly not curious if the girl is a relative of the doctor but aside from the faces and gender, their difference was like heaven and earth. The doctor seemed to have fallen in love with the sound of his own voice with his constant chattering about random things that even Setsu Mu Sho didn’t understand. He was always smiling, always laughing, always joking around like some unhinged clown. The girl, on the other hand, always looked serious and seemed to not like talking. So when it’s her turn, they could hear the rustling of the tree leaves by the wind and some occasional bird chirping outside the wooden house.

He didn’t know when but he had started to tolerate the existence of these two people and stopped thinking about killing them.

_The last time you enjoyed the companionship of a person, that same person heartlessly betrayed you._

Being immobile with nothing to do also made the voices in his head louder. But the peaceful rest that was forced upon him also simmered down his boiling rage. That thought didn’t make him angry anymore. He was feeling what he thought was sadness. It was a painful dull ache from his chest that spreads outward. It was different from anger which felt like it was burning him from the inside and forcing him to destroy everything so he wasn’t sure what this was at first. He thought it was just the pain from the stab wound. But he kept feeling it as he remembered his days with Rin Setsu A. They kept replaying in his head, forcing him to examine every tiny detail. He tried to see if there were telltale signs of Rin Setsu A betrayal in every word that he said and every action that he made. Did he make him unhappy in anyway? Did he do something wrong? Maybe when he asked to stay by his side forever?

“He had planned it ever since he met you. That’s how Rin Setsu A is. He always had a scheme.”

Setsu Mu Sho snapped out of his reverie. It was the time of the day for the doctor to come by and check his body. He looked at the doctor with a withering but questioning gaze that says, Are you reading my mind?

“I didn’t seal your mouth, you know. You could talk. The stares and glares and gazes are starting to get old. And I can see from your face that asking yourself what did you do wrong.”

Setsu Mu Sho turned his head away from the doctor. Silence descended on them once again. But not for long as the doctor sighed. The doctor rolled the bandage he got from Setsu Mu Sho’s arm and sat down beside him. Setsu Mu Sho found this unusual so he looked back. He never saw the doctor get serious like this. The doctor smiled when he saw him turn his head back to look at him. It was a warm smile unlike his usual mischievous ones but his eyes had a hint of sadness.

“A person has to be utterly and irreversibly wrong to invite a scheming snow crow to perch on his shoulder and guide him to his own destruction. You were wrong from the moment you met.”

Setsu Mu Sho scoffed, “I am well aware.”

The doctor was momentarily stunned before he laughed. He didn’t think he would hear Setsu Mu Sho talk today.

“Did you now? Was that an enlightenment born out of boredom?”

“No. I was wrong the moment I was born. My cracked skull is a testament to that.” Setsu Mu Sho then looked at the ceiling, lost in thought.  He whispered to himself, “So even he thought I shouldn’t exist.”

The doctor heard it all and frowned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's right, I am renaming this fic "Therapy for Setsu Mu Sho's broken heart." Hahaha!


End file.
